Multistate transition modeling: An application using hypertension data

Multistate models are systems of multivariate survival data where individuals move through a series of istinct states following certain paths of possible transitions. Such models provide a relevant tool for studying observations of a continuous time process at arbitrary times. The aim of this study was to model the transitions from a healthy (hypertension free) state to an illness (hypertension) state of a hypertensive patient under treatment.
Methods & Materials: In this article, the application of multistate modeling using hypertension data is demonstrated. Hospital data were obtained for a cohort of 353 patients from Jimma University Hospital, Ethiopia.
Three states of the Markov process are defined based on the WHO guideline of high blood pressure, state 1 (BP The study indicates that gender has a significant effect on the transition intensities but not family history ofhypertension.